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LearnedHand

(4,959 posts)
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 10:20 AM Aug 21

James Dobson, Influential Leader of the Religious Right, Dies at 89

Source: NYT (gift article)

James Dobson, the evangelical Christian broadcaster who waged war on homosexuality and championed “family values” in a long crusade that made him one of the nation’s most influential leaders of the religious right, died on Thursday at his home in Colorado Springs. He was 89.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/us/politics/james-dobson-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.f08.fP_D.ULPeCQgGfRjR&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare



Finally that dangerous fuck meets his own mortality!
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James Dobson, Influential Leader of the Religious Right, Dies at 89 (Original Post) LearnedHand Aug 21 OP
And the world is a better place!! hatrack Aug 21 #1
good. keroro gunsou Aug 21 #2
I think he was the "Focus on the Family" founder BumRushDaShow Aug 21 #3
I think he was too LearnedHand Aug 21 #7
Yeppers JustAnotherGen Aug 21 #8
I always enjoyed that retaliation "Focus on your own damn family" Blue Owl Aug 21 #23
... BumRushDaShow Aug 21 #25
LOL! Never heard that one! Great retort. 👍 electric_blue68 Aug 21 #29
ding. btw . quit shoving your mortality down my throat , not u personallhy blue owl. AllaN01Bear Aug 21 #37
We here refer to that tax-free group as either "fungus on the family", or, niyad Aug 21 #55
Focus on the Family SpankMe Aug 21 #45
Focus facility lakercub Aug 21 #71
Focus on the fetus? What it really was. Grins Aug 21 #56
Focus on the family as another hater mountain grammy Aug 21 #4
Hocus Focus Blue Owl Aug 21 #24
Perfect! mountain grammy Aug 21 #32
Woo hoooooo! JustAnotherGen Aug 21 #5
Roast him slowly Satan!!🔥 Hey Joe Aug 21 #59
Hope that scares the s... out of TSF! LakeVermilion Aug 21 #6
Good riddance. Paladin Aug 21 #9
All I can do is UpInArms Aug 21 #10
The air is a little fresher orangecrush Aug 21 #11
I can't think of anything nice to say. yardwork Aug 21 #12
I'm with you. There is nothing positive I can think of to say. Arkansas Granny Aug 21 #15
Come sit next to me and we'll continue saying nothing nice. yardwork Aug 21 #17
You do realize that it could take some time to exhaust all of the Arkansas Granny Aug 21 #69
Great idea! And a beach! yardwork Aug 21 #72
You should say something good rurallib Aug 21 #28
We're taught never to speak ill of the dead, only good. So.... YodaMom2 Aug 21 #58
To quote the movie "Razor's Edge" - "He will not be missed." n/t the nelm Aug 21 #13
swaggart, dobson who will make 3? rampartd Aug 21 #14
Here's an honest obituary for Dobson AverageOldGuy Aug 21 #16
That's an excellent obituary. hunter Aug 21 #77
I am so happy to learn this! tonekat Aug 21 #18
Unfortunately his father failed to pull out in time. NT cstanleytech Aug 21 #19
Only just now learned of you and looks like best moment, RIP! Brainfodder Aug 21 #20
Where the P stands for "perdition"? LearnedHand Aug 21 #31
The world is a better place today Stuckinthebush Aug 21 #21
I thought the air smelled a bit fresher this morning. -nt CrispyQ Aug 21 #22
John MacArthur keeled over too..in july Demovictory9 Aug 21 #26
The Devil Awaits ZDU Aug 21 #27
Look folks, when someone dies you're supposed to say something good. underpants Aug 21 #30
There will be someone to take his place. The Grand Illuminist Aug 21 #33
Or hopefully he may be a total corrupt incompetent fuckup. Crowman2009 Aug 21 #36
"No matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin twodogsbarking Aug 21 #39
There are already many to take his place. valleyrogue Aug 21 #40
Luckily due to MAGA a lot of them are grifters. Crowman2009 Aug 21 #61
Good riddance to this christo-fascist pigman wolfie001 Aug 21 #34
Child abuse advocate Freddie Aug 21 #35
Some good news for a change. Crowman2009 Aug 21 #38
No heaven for you James Clouds Passing Aug 21 #41
You should always say something good about the dead. Ray Bruns Aug 21 #42
Excellent. sinkingfeeling Aug 21 #43
took too long pfitz59 Aug 21 #44
The fires of hell are burning brighter today. Oopsie Daisy Aug 21 #46
My mother taught me Pototan Aug 21 #47
HAH! I thought... GiqueCee Aug 21 #48
Nice to wake up to this PlanetBev Aug 21 #49
Not the obituary I was looking for... Dulcinea Aug 21 #50
I know how you feel. calimary Aug 22 #82
Go to Hell, JD. FalloutShelter Aug 21 #51
Prepare the way for Trump now Dobson... Moostache Aug 21 #52
I noticed that the air here was a bit cleaner this morning. niyad Aug 21 #53
Have fun in the flames of hell choie Aug 21 #54
About the white-washing job I would expect from the nyt. The Wonkette niyad Aug 21 #57
Woohoo!!! rhiannon55 Aug 21 #60
I once emailed Focus on the Family Mblaze Aug 21 #62
Who's left of religious right leaders? ChicagoTeamster Aug 21 #63
ah hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha eggplant Aug 21 #64
Freddi was fabulous. They name a planet after him. twodogsbarking Aug 21 #65
Excellent Owl Aug 21 #66
Adios, Fucko JoseBalow Aug 21 #67
The only real justice, these days. Buddyzbuddy Aug 21 #68
Now he will find out what God really thinks of his version of Christianity jgmiller Aug 21 #70
Boo hoo. WestMichRad Aug 21 #73
Wasn't he the one who, on 9/12/2001 with the buildings still smoking, blamed the attacks on lesbians? Hekate Aug 21 #74
That was Jerry Falwell, Sr. n/t valleyrogue Aug 21 #78
Ah yes. So hard to tell the emeffers apart Hekate Aug 21 #79
One of the best send-offs Wild blueberry Aug 21 #75
May his journey be enlightening Hekate Aug 21 #76
Good. One less monster in the world. travelingthrulife Aug 21 #80
Bye Bye eringer Aug 21 #81

hatrack

(63,419 posts)
1. And the world is a better place!!
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 10:21 AM
Aug 21

Awaiting him in Hell - an infinity of dachshunds - and they're pissed off.

BumRushDaShow

(158,970 posts)
3. I think he was the "Focus on the Family" founder
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 10:24 AM
Aug 21

I know my mom used to monitor these guys (and RW talk radio to hear "the other side" ). And to quote Forrest Gump - "And that's all I have to say about that" (and that guy).

niyad

(126,528 posts)
55. We here refer to that tax-free group as either "fungus on the family", or,
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 12:21 PM
Aug 21

"focus on fascism", for over 30 years.

SpankMe

(3,569 posts)
45. Focus on the Family
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 11:41 AM
Aug 21

...unless your family contains gay people, Or trans people. Or pregnant women. Or...

I have friends in Colorado Springs (where Focus was HQ'd) who derisively referred to it as "Poke-us-in-the-Fanny".

lakercub

(665 posts)
71. Focus facility
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 03:33 PM
Aug 21

My mother-in-law and some friends worked there and I went in to the main building once. It was nauseating. Dobson made a temple to himself. There was a very long hallway that was absolutely filled with pictures of Dobson shaking hands with, or posing with, other famous people (i've never forgotten the one with Dobson and Oliver North). At the end of the hall was an extremely expensive, beautiful mahogonay staircase. The staircase was donated, allegedly, but an organization that really wanted to help would have asked for that donation to be in the form of food and clothing for the poor, not unnecessary opulence.

Allegedly Christians aren't supposed to make idols of themselves and are supposed to show humility (laughable, with the Christian right...I know), but this was so egregious that it just put the lie to the whole place's reason for existence. They wanted to stop homosexualtiy, pre-marital sex, et al, but what they REALLY wanted was as much money as possible.

JustAnotherGen

(36,756 posts)
5. Woo hoooooo!
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 10:24 AM
Aug 21


That s.o.b. has been part of the ChristoFascist movement for decades.

I hope he enjoys his time in hell.

Paladin

(31,472 posts)
9. Good riddance.
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 10:25 AM
Aug 21

I hope Dobson put in a "good word" for trump getting into heaven, before he croaked---that would guarantee trump's failure to pass through the pearly gates...

Arkansas Granny

(32,135 posts)
69. You do realize that it could take some time to exhaust all of the
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 03:03 PM
Aug 21

nothing nice things I have to say about the Felon-in- Chief. Let's do it someplace with margaritas.

AverageOldGuy

(2,878 posts)
16. Here's an honest obituary for Dobson
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 10:45 AM
Aug 21
https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2025/08/james-dobson-burn-in-hell



Finally. This awful homophobe made the world a significantly worse place by his living in it. His brand of hate was tremendously influential in the modern Republican Party. Future Americans should look at Dobson with contempt and disgust, much like the racist scum of our collective past and of the Trump administration today.


(There's a lot more at the link . . . and it gets much better.!

Stuckinthebush

(11,172 posts)
21. The world is a better place today
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 10:50 AM
Aug 21

Some people's lives are a cancer on society. No tears and definitely no holding back on grave dancing.

Demovictory9

(37,113 posts)
26. John MacArthur keeled over too..in july
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 10:56 AM
Aug 21

From wiki:


In March 2022, The Roys Report published an investigation critical of Grace Community Church (GCC) and its pastor, John MacArthur.[63] Some female victims of domestic violence, according to the findings, were reportedly asked to return to their husbands or face excommunication. Hohn Cho, a GCC elder, said that he advised MacArthur to reconsider that stance.[64]

underpants

(192,455 posts)
30. Look folks, when someone dies you're supposed to say something good.
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 10:59 AM
Aug 21

James Dobson is dead. Good.

Stole that from someone at DU when Falwell died.

Crowman2009

(3,228 posts)
36. Or hopefully he may be a total corrupt incompetent fuckup.
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 11:22 AM
Aug 21

All those donations are going to be spent on extra houses, jewelry, sports cars, drugs, female escorts, gay escorts, orgies, etc. Take Jerry Falwell Jr. for example.

twodogsbarking

(15,297 posts)
39. "No matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 11:25 AM
Aug 21

You are, however, spot on.

valleyrogue

(2,272 posts)
40. There are already many to take his place.
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 11:25 AM
Aug 21

Doug Wilson and his ilk are vastly worse than Dobson ever thought of being.

Crowman2009

(3,228 posts)
61. Luckily due to MAGA a lot of them are grifters.
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 12:48 PM
Aug 21

So get ready for some entertaining infighting!

Freddie

(9,943 posts)
35. Child abuse advocate
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 11:22 AM
Aug 21

Wrote several books about how it’s “Christian” and perfectly fine to hit your kids. Another obituary read with great pleasure.

Pototan

(2,848 posts)
47. My mother taught me
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 11:49 AM
Aug 21

that if you couldn't say anything good about the deceased, don't say anything at all.

James Dobson is dead. GOOD

GiqueCee

(2,754 posts)
48. HAH! I thought...
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 11:50 AM
Aug 21

... the Sun was shining brighter, and the air smelled fresher! Good riddance. He was an evil man.

Moostache

(10,741 posts)
52. Prepare the way for Trump now Dobson...
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 12:14 PM
Aug 21

The blessed day awaits, "Trump found dead on toilet" - this Dobson news is just an appetizer for the main course.

niyad

(126,528 posts)
57. About the white-washing job I would expect from the nyt. The Wonkette
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 12:26 PM
Aug 21

obit is much, much better.

rhiannon55

(2,748 posts)
60. Woohoo!!!
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 12:46 PM
Aug 21

Colorado Springs just got a teeny tiny bit more woke. If I still lived there I would be dancing in the street!

Mblaze

(688 posts)
62. I once emailed Focus on the Family
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 01:00 PM
Aug 21

And asked them why they push prayer in school when Jesus specifically directed his followers to pray in private rather than in public "like the hypocrites"? They responded that they consider the Sermon on the Mount to be a "minor teaching" and blocked me.

ChicagoTeamster

(9 posts)
63. Who's left of religious right leaders?
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 01:07 PM
Aug 21

So who is left? Falwell and Robertson are dead although their sons took over but they're also in their sixties. Fred Phelps died after being disfellowshipped because his adult children left after their kids (the toddlers that used to hold the god hates fags signs at Phelps protests) quit when they became young adults and were done with the bullshit.

To be an elder in a christian church all of your adult children must be baptized church members. When Phelps grandkids quit, his children were no longer elders and couldn't control finances, (among other things but the primary reason for evangelical churches) so they quit and then Phelps lost his position as leader of the Westboro Baptist Church and some other leaders took over the business of protesting to provoke a response and then suing. Fred became a minister and started the church after he was disbarred as an attorney for a series of defamatory and misogynistic attacks against female witnesses against cases he was pursuing.

They're such idiots. Moms for Liberty founder and her husband (Fla Republican Part chairman) were accused of rape after having a three way with a woman who wasn't told the husband would join in. Guess they were having a three way after the book burning. Turning Point USA founder has been sued for sexual assault by multiple young men and settled out of court. Students for Trump founder Ryan Fournier was arrested for assaulting a woman with a firearm. Family Research Council founder George Rekers was caught at Miami airport with a 20 year old gay escort. MegaChurch pastor Ted Haggard was brought down by a 2006 scandal involving drugs (meth) and sex with a gay escort . He was president of the American evangelical association.

The christian coalition was started out of Pat Robertson's failed 1988 presidential campaign. So many millenials and GenZ are non religious that I wonder how long before the current leaders either die off or go down in scandal and this bullshit will end. Hopefully it won't take another 20 years.

twodogsbarking

(15,297 posts)
65. Freddi was fabulous. They name a planet after him.
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 01:57 PM
Aug 21

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust (yeah)
Hey, I'm gonna get you, too
Another one bites the dust

Hekate

(99,163 posts)
74. Wasn't he the one who, on 9/12/2001 with the buildings still smoking, blamed the attacks on lesbians?
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 05:00 PM
Aug 21

Something like: lesbians, homosexuals, witches — it was charming.

May he receive everything he so richly deserves.

Wild blueberry

(7,852 posts)
75. One of the best send-offs
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 05:03 PM
Aug 21

"Some tasty food for worms was delivered on Thursday. One of the most truly horrible humans ever inflicted on this country has ceased to be, and all say, “Amen” and “about goddamn time.”
the great Charles P. Pierce

eringer

(472 posts)
81. Bye Bye
Thu Aug 21, 2025, 09:28 PM
Aug 21

Thank you Lord for taking this scum off the planet before the convicted felon awarded him the Medal of Freedom.

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